A Laboratory Test for Determining the Qulity of Imported pasture Plant and Forage Crop Seeds

수입목초 및 사료작물 종자의 품질에 관한 조사연구

A series of tests was carried out to determine the purity and germination of pasture plant and forage crop seeds imported in 1986 and 1987 at the grassland and forage laboratory, College of Agriculture, Seoul National University, Suweon. At the same time, the results obtained were compared with the National Livestook Cooperatives Federation(NLCF1's seed standards as a guide for determining seed quality. 1. The germination percentages of Potomac orchardgrass, Fawn tall fescue, Aquila Ky bluegrass and California ladino clover among grasses and legumes tested were lower than those of the N1,CF's standards, but the germination percentages of forage crops were higher than those of the NLCF's standards. 2. The purity of Potomac orchardgrass and Aquila Ky bluegrass were relatively lower than those of the NLCF's standards. 3. The percentages of other crop seeds in Potomac orchardgrass, Fawn tall fescue, Aquila Ky bluegrass and Cayuse oats were lower than those of the NLCF's standards. 4. Percentage of inert matter in the seeds was lower compared with the NLCF's standards except Akela ' forage rape. 5. The seeds of Potomac orchardgrass, NK 367 sorghum hybrid and sorghum x sudangrass hybrids such as NC+855, G83F and TE Haygrazer were contaminated with one or more weed seeds. Rumex spp. was by far the most common weed in the seeds imported. The other weeds occurred at a low level were Rumex acestosella, Senecio jacobaea, Cirsium arvense and Cuscicta spp. 6. There were many variations in 1,000 seed weight among different species. A thousand seed weight of Aquila Ky bluegrass was 0.263g, but that of Tetrone Italian ryegrass, Akela forage rape and Pioneer 3160 sorghum x sudangrass hybrid was 3.875, 3.476 and 242.4578, respectively. 7. According to the fluorescence test of ryegrass seed, Tetrone Italian ryegrass was known as a true annual type, but an unknown cultivar produced in Cheju was contaminated with 6% of perennial ryegrass seed.